George R.R. Martin Adores This New House of the Dragon Character Everyone Felt So Bad For

Just like its predecessor, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is pretty reluctant to introduce overall positive characters, but the second season did so — and, ironically, it’s not even a human being.

Die-hard fans of the show will surely never forget how the premiere episode, titled A Son for a Son, brought to light the incredible cruelty of Blood and Cheese, with young Prince Jaehaerys’ brutal murder and all the unfair attitude that Cheese’s dog received.

The audience was clearly shocked with an unnecessary sequence of Cheese kicking his dog while heading for the Greens’ castle, and the dog whining and later on hiding in the tunnels.

House of the Dragon’s following episode proved that the dog ultimately got avenged and, additionally, even praised by George R.R. Martin himself. In his blog, the author keeps reflecting on the second season’s episodes, and back in the day he couldn’t just ignore a new addition to the cast introduced in the premiere episode.

Martin admitted that usually he isn’t enthusiastic about the showrunners coming up with their own ideas for new characters, especially since the original book never even mentioned that Cheese actually had a dog.

However, he then revealed that “that dog was brilliant,” and not only because it made so many fans sympathize with the poor creature, but also due to its ability to prove that even an assassin could still have something within that would ultimately make a stray dog his loyal pet.

As Martin wrote, “I was prepared to hate Cheese, but I hated him even more when he kicked that dog. And later, when the dog [sat] at his feet, gazing up… that damn near broke my heart. Such a little thing… such a little dog… but his presence, the few short moments he was on screen, gave the ratcatcher so much humanity.”

Season 2 episode 2 brought a significant relief to many fans who felt bad for the dog that was abused for no reason, yet the creature’s presence shattered everyone’s hearts even more.

The episode sees Blood and Cheese being hanged after Aegon’s order to execute all ratcatchers, and the dog, as many believed, was supposed to feel much better afterwards knowing that its abuser will no longer torment it.

However, the dog does come to see Cheese hung at the wall, and the look that his pet has definitely signals the dog’s attachment to the assassin, no matter how violent towards the animal he could sometimes be.

The new character being a key to understanding Cheese’s personality eventually turned out to be one of the best decisions Ryan Condal has ever come up with, and even George R.R. Martin does think so.

As the author said in his lengthy message, “I wish I’d thought of that dog. I didn’t, but someone else did. I am glad of that.”

Source: George R.R. Martin’s blog